Happy Birthday Dad!!

Today is a very special day. It's this guys birthday:

Yep, that's my Dad!

Here's a list of the TOP 10 things that I love about my dad.

1. I love that my dad can fix ANYTHING! Seriously, he is one of those guys that you would definitely call a "handy man." If I ever have anything that breaks or doesn't work, I immediately call my dad. If I'm having trouble hooking up some type of electronic device, he can usually walk me through the steps over the phone of how to do it...without even seeing it. If my computer gets a virus, he knows how to completely take the computer apart and rebuild it. It is so nice to have his help! I don't think I could survive without him!

2. I love how he makes up a nickname for EVERYONE. The funny part is, they are usually so random and have no meaning. For instance, my nickname is Liz, my brothers is Biz, and my mom is Lou or Lou-da or sometimes Alice. haha Nobody knows why or where any of those came from, but we all answer to them! haha Just to prove that he uses these names all the time, I remember when I was in elementary school he had a friend over who had brought his little girl. My dad had been calling me "Liz" all day, and later that evening his friend told his daughter to "Go in there and play with Liz." I remember just laughing so hard because he thought that was my name!

3. I love how my dad is such a "go-getter." He works so hard all the time in order to give me and my family all that we want and/or need. He has so much drive and initiative which has made him to be the successful man that he is.

4. I love that he is a perfectionist. He doesn't do ANYTHING half-way, and he goes all out on everything. If its yard work, cleaning his truck, starting the first branch of our new business(FHTM)in Decatur, he goes at it full force and does it all perfectly! I think he has actually given me part of that trait. I tend to be a perfectionist in a lot of areas too!

5. I love that he is a "clean freak." He's not really a freak...haha I just couldn't think of a better description. He (with the help of my mom) makes sure the house is spotless. Ben and I always laugh because he seriously takes about 10 minutes to wipe off and clean our stove top. It's one of those flat stove tops and he is always rubbing it and pulling out some type of cleaner to put on it. He also gave me this trait. Ben says I am obsessive about cleaning our kitchen counters.

6. I love that he is technilogically savy. He keeps us up to date with the newest and best items out there... Seriously. For example, a while back, we came home to my dads newest purchse of a 60 inch flat screen TV! Yes.... 60... it's huge. I know those are everywhere now, but at that time, he had bought 1 out of only 20 that existed, and had it shipped over from Japan. Because that size wasn't popular in the US yet, there were no TV cabinets big enough to fit it. My mom had to search and search and found only 1 to choose from.....I know this is hard to believe because now they are everywhere. I remember my mom and me laughing hysterically when we saw it because it was GIGANTIC. haha We thought it was TOO big, and thought it was almost embarrassing to have. Now we are so use to it, and have seen them in lots of other peoples houses. I'm so thankful that my dad can introduce us to these types of things!

7. I love that my dad is funny. He always makes the funniest most random remarks that usually make everyone laugh. He also makes a lot of sound effects...like when we watch tv, that are Hilarious!

8. I love that my dad is a people pleaser, and most people really like him and respect him. He has such a friendly personality and can get along with anyone. He is very approachable by others. One day, after we got engaged, Ben literally said "I'm so lucky to have a father-in-law like your dad. He is so cool and laid back, it was easy to ask his permission to marry you." He had heard a few other stories from friends where that whole process was a little more intimidating..

9. I love that my dad gave me his greasy, oily hair...... Ok.... Not really. I actually hate that my hair is so greasy that it looks wet if I don't wash it every morning. I would love to be able to skip a day of washing it...but I can't. But hey, thats just one fault for my dad...haha just kidding.

10. And last but not least, I love that my dad loves me and my entire family and would seriously
do anything for any of us!

He sounds like one pretty cool guy, don't you think?! To end, here are a few of my favorite pictures of him.

Happy Birthday Dad!!

This first one is of us right before they opened the doors for

us to walk down the isle at my wedding.

The next one is of us at the beginning of our father/daughter dance.

Not long into it, I got really emotional...as you can see in the next picture. We had the SWEETEST song playing ever that my dad had picked out himself. It was called "Daddy's Angel" by T Carter Music...Go watch it on youtube...but grab a tissue. You will cry! My dad had also stayed up the night before the wedding creating a slide show of pictures of me and him as I grew up, that play during our dance..... It was such a special moment. I could cry again just thinking about it!

This next picture my mom will probably kill me for putting up, haha but I love it!! Our band had made all of the bridesmaids do a dance line. Everyone came up front and they each had to dance out in the middle by themselves. At the end, they called both mine and Ben's parents into it.... Look at my parents getting down! And better yet...check out Ben in the background! haha

This next one is just a random picture that I like! :)

These next few are actually a little older... from the last couple of years.

My dad loves to fish and do "outdoorsy" kind of stuff!

My mom, dad, and me at a banquet for Dad's work

This next picture, my dad will kill me for putting up. I had to though! It makes me LAUGH hysterically every time I look at it. We were out in the middle of the ocean deep sea fishing. The wind was blowing SO hard..you can tell that by my hair. haha We didn't realize it, but it was blowing my dads shirt and shorts up so in the picture he seriously looks like he is 300 pounds and about to bust out of his clothes.... hahahaha

I'm just adding these next two so that you can see he really wasn't,

and never has been that big. Even in this first one,

his shirt is still a little puffy full of air! haha